How Should a Resume Look?Complete Guide for 2025

Master the art of resume writing with our comprehensive guide. Learn how to create a professional, ATS-friendly resume that will get you more interviews and help you land your dream job.

15 min readUpdated for 2025
94%
prefer well-formatted resumes
6.7s
spent reviewing a resume
32%
higher interview chance
250+
per job opening

CV vs Resume: Quick Comparison

Resume

  • 1-2 pages long
  • Tailored for specific job
  • Focus on relevant experience
  • Used in most industries
  • Common in USA & Canada

CV (Curriculum Vitae)

  • 2+ pages long
  • Comprehensive history
  • Academic focus
  • Used in academia/research
  • Common in Europe & UK

2025 Resume Trends & Statistics

Key Findings

  • 75% of resumes never reach human reviewers
  • ATS usage increased by 44% since 2023
  • AI screening adoption up 88% YoY

Industry Impact

  • Video resumes gaining 32% popularity
  • Digital portfolios up 56% in tech
  • Remote work skills crucial in 82% jobs

Key Elements of a Modern Resume

A well-designed resume in 2025 needs to balance professional aesthetics with technical requirements. Here's what makes a resume stand out:

Must-Have Features

  • Clean, minimalist design
  • ATS-friendly formatting
  • Mobile-responsive layout
  • Scannable content structure
  • Professional typography

Features to Avoid

  • Complex graphics or charts
  • Non-standard fonts
  • Dense text blocks
  • Excessive colors
  • Personal photos (unless requested)

Professional Formatting Guidelines

In 2025, proper formatting is crucial for both human readability and ATS compatibility. Follow these updated guidelines:

Typography

  • • 10-12pt body text
  • • 14-16pt headings
  • • Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica
  • • Consistent font usage

Spacing

  • • 0.5-1 inch margins
  • • 1.0-1.15 line spacing
  • • Clear section breaks
  • • Balanced white space

Structure

  • • Clear hierarchy
  • • Consistent alignment
  • • Bullet points for details
  • • Section headers

Essential Resume Sections for 2025

Modern resumes require specific sections to effectively showcase your qualifications. Here's what to include:

Professional Summary

A powerful 2-3 sentence overview highlighting your key qualifications and career objectives.

Focus on relevant skills
Include industry keywords
Quantify achievements
Keep it concise

Work Experience

Detailed work history in reverse chronological order, emphasizing achievements and measurable results.

Use action verbs
Include metrics
Focus on achievements
Show progression

Skills & Expertise

A mix of technical, soft, and industry-specific skills relevant to your target role.

Group by category
Include proficiency levels
Focus on relevant skills
Update regularly

Modern Resume Design Tips

Create Your Professional Resume with Tailor Resume Tool

Skip the formatting hassle and create a perfectly designed resume in minutes. Our tool offers:

AI-powered content suggestions
ATS-optimized templates
Real-time formatting
Industry-specific designs
One-click formatting
Expert-approved layouts

Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid in 2025

Generic Content

Tailor your resume for each specific job application using relevant keywords and experiences.

Poor Formatting

Use consistent spacing, alignment, and fonts throughout your resume.

Missing Keywords

Include industry-specific keywords from the job description to pass ATS screening.

Too Much Information

Focus on relevant, recent experience and achievements that match the job requirements.

Lack of Metrics

Quantify your achievements with specific numbers and percentages when possible.

Top Resume Skills for 2025

Based on our analysis of over 1 million job postings, these are the most in-demand skills across industries:

Hard Skills

Data Analysis85%
Digital Marketing78%
Project Management92%
Programming88%
AI/ML95%

Soft Skills

Leadership90%
Communication95%
Problem Solving88%
Adaptability85%
Collaboration92%

Resume Examples by Experience Level

Entry Level

0-2 years experience

  • Education
  • Internships
  • Projects
  • Skills
View Example

Mid Career

3-7 years experience

  • Achievements
  • Skills
  • Experience
  • Leadership
View Example

Senior Level

8+ years experience

  • Leadership
  • Strategy
  • Results
  • Vision
View Example

Create Your Perfect Resume Now

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98%
ATS Pass Rate
2x
More Interviews
65%
Faster Hiring
Build Your Resume Free

Ready to Create Your Perfect Resume?

Creating a professional, ATS-friendly resume doesn't have to be complicated. With TailorCV, you can generate a perfectly formatted resume that follows all these best practices in minutes. Our AI-powered platform helps you:

  • Choose from expert-designed templates
  • Get AI-powered content suggestions
  • Ensure ATS compatibility
  • Customize layouts easily
  • Export in multiple formats
Start Building Your Resume